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Von Miller agrees to six-year, $114.5 million contract with Broncos

Deal make him the highest-paid nonquarterback in NFL history

By Troy E. Renck

The Denver Post

Posted:
07/15/2016 12:20:01 PM MDT

Updated:
07/15/2016 09:27:48 PM MDT

The new face of the Broncos wears glasses, loud T-shirts and, as of Friday, a huge smile. Von Miller will be remembered forever in Denver with his Super Bowl 50 performance. With his new deal, the all-pro outside linebacker took a huge step toward never leaving.

Miller agreed to a landmark six-year, $114.5 million contract that includes $70 million guaranteed and a $23 million signing bonus, making him the highest-paid nonquarterback in NFL history. The Broncos announced the deal Friday.

"I'm super happy and excited to be back with my teammates for the next six years," Miller said in a statement. "This is something I really wanted — to stay with the Denver Broncos. I am so appreciative and grateful for this opportunity. I want to thank Mr. Bowlen, Joe Ellis, John Elway and coach (Gary) Kubiak for making this possible. I'm also thankful for the way my teammates and our fans have supported me. I'm excited for the future and ready to get back to work."

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In an offseason defined by turbulence, the Broncos calmed the waters by ensuring that their best player would be in training camp rather than holding out in protest of the one-year, $14.1 million exclusive franchise tag. Miller, entering his prime at 27, ascended to superstardom during what Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips described as a "dominant run." Miller delivered five sacks in the playoffs, earned Super Bowl 50 MVP honors and, after months of anxiousness and a hint of animosity, a contract that reflects his status as one of the NFL's best players. Only Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, at $87 million from a recent extension, has more guaranteed money than Miller.

Miller becomes the league's top-paid defensive player in guaranteed money, trumping the $63.5 million Philadelphia Eagles lineman Fletcher Cox received last month. Elway's willingness to adjust the guarantee and scheduled payout accelerated negotiations over the last week. Miller will receive $61 million by March, including bonuses, and $70 million by March 2018.

"Von's earned this contract not only for what he's done in the past but for what we believe he'll do in the future," Elway said in a statement. "This was a long process that ended the way we all wanted — with Von being part of the Denver Broncos for many more years. Our team had a tremendous year last season, and the way Von performed the final few weeks was such a big part of our Super Bowl run. Going forward, we expect great things from Von not only on the field but with the responsibility he has as a leader on the team. I'm proud of how we've handled this situation and give credit to everyone on our staff who helped get this done."

The NFL remains a quarterback-driven league. But after Peyton Manning's retirement and Brock Osweiler's exit to the Houston Texans in free agency, the Broncos possessed quarterback money to pay Miller. It was a remarkable negotiation, given the ground covered in five weeks. The Broncos unsuccessfully tried to secure a deal in February, leading to the franchise tag.

The price spiked after Cox's deal, undermining the Broncos' hammer of the exclusive franchise tag and comparisons to the Kansas City Chiefs' Justin Houston, who received $52.5 million guaranteed last year. Denver increased its offer from $38.5 million to $70 million guaranteed after its first offer leaked June 7, upsetting Miller and stalling talks.

What changed? Miller picked up a phone last week and talked directly with Elway and Broncos president Joe Ellis. Miller admitted he was disappointed by Denver's negotiating tactics but reiterated his desire to be "a Bronco for life."

Without acknowledging it publicly, Elway's strong push echoed what most of the team's fans were thinking: Denver had no chance of repeating as Super Bowl champion without Miller. The offseason has featured quarterback uncertainty — veteran Mark Sanchez is the slight favorite to start over second-year pro Trevor Siemian — free-agent departures of defensive end Malik Jackson and linebacker Danny Trevathan, and the gunshot leg injury and potential league discipline of cornerback Aqib Talib.

"I know this took a lot of hard work from John and Von to get this done, and we're thrilled that Von is going to be a Bronco for a long time," Kubiak said. "I've known him since he was a kid in college. Most of all, I'm proud of how far Von's come as both a person and a player. It's a great day for him and the organization. We're all excited to get back to work with Von as a leader of our team."

With Miller back in the fold, the NFL's top-ranked defense boasts its fangs, pairing him with perennial Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware. Since the sack became recorded for the first time in 1982, only J.J. Watt and Reggie White have averaged more sacks per game than Miller. He owns 60 sacks in five years after being selected second overall in the 2011 draft. As every elite member of his class got paid in recent years, Miller waited because of his own undoing. In 2013, the NFL suspended Miller six games for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. When he returned overweight, Miller suffered a season-ending knee injury. But he rebounded, staying clean for two years to exit the drug program, while excelling on the field.

His postseason performance checked off all boxes, leaving Miller as the unquestioned bespectacled face of the franchise.

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